Graduate Student Mentorship
The Mentoring Guidelines followed in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Graduate Program are the same as those presented in the Grad Council Mentoring Guidelines document.
The responsibility for completing degree milestones lies with the graduate student, in consultation with their Faculty Mentor and Graduate Advisor.
Students are advised to talk to their Faculty Mentor regularly. It is the responsibility of the Faculty Mentor to advise; it is the student’s responsibility to seek advice when needed. Clear communication is essential to success in graduate school.
Conflict Management
- Why do conflicts happen?
- Conflict with mentors can happen at any time during your academic career, and most conflicts stem from miscommunication. There are many factors that can create a misalignment between preferences and expectations. Some examples include project deadlines, roles, and assignments; fieldwork and travel; work location; time off; meeting schedules; funding; lab group dynamics; publication authorship, and more.
- How can I prevent conflicts?
- We encourage students and faculty to start their mentorship relationship with an intentional conversation about communication style, preferences, and expectations. Be proactive to help avoid miscommunications down the road. Check out the Graduate Studies Mentee Resources for tools on how to set expectations for your mentor/mentee relationship.
- What should you do when conflicts start?
- Address the issue early. Misunderstandings or misalignment of expectations can be minor at first, and grow into larger issues if left unaddressed. If you feel comfortable, we highly encourage open, honest, direct, and non-defensive dialogue between the mentee and mentor.
Use the resources linked to throughout this page to find help with these conversations. There are people on campus who can help you with problem-solving, practice having hard conversations, think about how to move forward, help you find additional resources, and guide you on how to take formal actions if needed. - Make a plan
- With the support of your network, consider the outcomes that you hope to see, and start formulating a plan on how to make that happen. Think about practicing the conversation first, and know that individuals have different styles of communication, and different points of view of the same situation. Try to stay open to hearing the other side(s) of the story.
- Seek resolution
- Depending on the conflict, there could be several outcomes. Many students can find a resolution directly with their mentor, and go on to have a successful and rewarding relationship with them after conflict.
Sometimes a student changes advisors; discuss this with your Graduate Advisor or Graduate Chair if you are interested in this solution.
If it comes to the point of wanting to change degree objectives, leave the program, or transfer schools, please consider talking with a trusted member of the department or your network about this. There are often options. The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences supports you in whatever your goals are, and is here to help you figure out the best method of reaching those goals. - How can I escalate an issue?
- Starting at the root of the issue is best in order to practice effective conflict management. It’s helpful to use local resources like members of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences who you trust or have already established a relationship with.
You may want to seek advice from multiple people – both within and outside of the department – before taking action.
A general way to escalate issues that cannot be solved between you and your mentor is to contact your Graduate Advisor next, then the Graduate Chair, then even the Chair of the department if needed. If this conflict management is not working, you can escalate issues outside of the department to the Graduate Studies Senior Academic Advisor, the Graduate Studies Director of Advising, or the Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.
People and Resources
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Thesis Advisors aka Faculty Mentors
- Graduate Advisors, Graduate Chair, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Department Chair
Graduate Studies (see directory)
- Samantha Duesdieker | Senior Academic Advisor
- Sarah Driver | Director of Advising
- Dr. Bai‐Yin Chen | CAPS Psychologist
- Josephine Moreno | Graduate Diversity Officer
- Panhoia Lee | Case Manager, OSSJA
- Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor | Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
Campus resources
Clubs and Organizations
All students are encouraged to check out the department’s many clubs and organizations.
- My.UCDavis.edu
- Graduate Studies: Graduate Student Resource Guide
Academic Standing and Academic Notice
How is “satisfactory academic progress” defined?
Students must meet the UC Davis Graduate Studies Graduate Degree Requirements and the Earth and Planetary Sciences Ph.D. and M.S. Degree Requirements as detailed on the Graduate Degree Requirements page.
This academic progress is documented in the form of:
- Quarterly GEL 299 grades (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory)
- The annual Student Progress Assessment
- Optional interim Student Progress Assessments
- Annual meeting forms (the Prospectus Meeting document for first-years, Qualifying Exam result for second-years, and EPSGP Annual Advisory Committee Meeting forms for all others)
- Any supplemental meeting notes or other forms added to your student file by students, faculty mentors, graduate advisors, or others, with notice to the student.
What happens if a student is not making satisfactory academic progress?
If a student’s progress is not satisfactory, students may:
- Be asked to have a conversation with their faculty mentor, graduate advisor, graduate chair, or graduate studies;
- Create an individualized progress plan;
- Be issued an Academic Notice; and/or
- Face disqualification from the graduate program.
- They also may lose eligibility to hold a fellowship.
Note: unsatisfactory work as part of employment will be addressed as per policies laid out by Graduate Studies, HR, Payroll, and/or the bargaining units for each payroll title. Students must be in good academic standing to hold employment.
Members of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences are here to work with you to meet your goals. They can proactively help you plan how to meet your graduate degree expectations. And if you end up not making satisfactory academic progress, they are here to help you make a plan to move forward.